'It was intense:' Sea-Tac flight takes three times to land in storm

But Monday's short flight from Portland to Seattle was one she likely won't forget but hopes she could.

"It was bad. It was bad, bad," she said. "We were up and down and sideways."

Passengers were warned before they boarded Alaska Flight 3481, she said. The flight to Sea-Tac Airport was one thing. The landing was something else.

The plane had nearly landed when a huge gust of wind hit it. The pilot aborted the landing. And he also aborted a second landing, though Lichenstein said the plane wasn't as close to the runway as the first time.

"The third time, rougher than hell, but we managed to land," she recalled.

"The bathroom door flew open. People were crying. A guy puked," she said. "It was intense."

According to the National Weather Service in Seattle, Sea-Tac Airport had gusts up to 54 miles per hour during the height of the storm.